


Teachings of the Dead

by Anon_H



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Dream Bubbles, Gen, PTSD, Sadstuck, Underage Drinking, on ocassion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-02
Updated: 2014-01-09
Packaged: 2017-12-28 05:38:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anon_H/pseuds/Anon_H
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aside from their lusii, the trolls never had a guide trough their lives.</p><p>In death however, they can find the wisdom of their ancestors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dualscarred

It took a while for Eridan to realize what exactly happened on the meteor.

It took even longer for him to realize what exactly was going on now.

There he was, walking through his memories like he was experiencing them again: the first time he met Feferi, twelfth perigrees eve with his lusus, the time he found Ahab’s crosshair, the land of wrath and angels, his time on the meteor and his encounter with an incredibly angry rainbowdrinker.

He supposed it was to be expected. As the prince of all hope he figured he had the authority to realize when it was lost.

And so he kept drifting trough memories.

One moment, after what could be seconds, hours, days or sweeps, he found a memory that was not his own. He found himself aboard a ship, so very much like his hive, sailing on the stormy Alternian seas.  
The sharp winds and heavy rain cut his face and he used his cloak in an attempt to stay dry as he made his way to where his respite block should have been; the captain’s cabin.

The moment he attempted to open it however, he was greeted with the barrel of a familiar looking rifle.

“An vwho the bleedin hell be trespassin on me ship!” a violent face growled. Eridan had already drawn his rifle and pointed it right back at his assailants face, ready to prove his worth against the adult troll. His finger was twitching against the trigger before realizing how familiar the captain of the ship looked.  
His slightly crooked nose, his purple eyes, his slick black hair with a purple streak, his wavy horns and two scars running over his eye shaped like his symbol.

“Y-You’re Dualscar!” Eridan exclaimed in shock. His ancestor, his idol, his image of what he had always wanted to be, was right in front of him.

Dualscar took a step back and scrutinized the young troll in front of him.”Vwhere did you get that rifle boy?” he asked, pointing his finger almost accusingly.

“Exactly wwhere you left it!” Eridan said hastily.”The blackwwater bay, near the eastern continent of Alternia.” The scenery around them rapidly changed from the stormy seas to a tropical bay. Eridan stood to his knees in the dark colored water and put his rifle away, waiting for his ancestor to return the favor.

“Vwhats yer name kid?” Dualscar growled, still suspicious of the wriggler in front of him.

“Ampora…..” he answered faster than he could think.”I am Eridan Ampora.”

“Me an that vwenche of a mindfang had a descendant?” The adult sneered.”Lords hawve mercy on ye kid.” With a wave of his hand he changed the scenery around them yet again. This time they found themselves in a rowdy looking tavern filled with seadwelling bucanneers and lowblood slaves. However, almost everyone except the two royalbloods seemed frozen in time; an incomplete memory.

Dualscar sat himself down in the corner, from where he could had a good view of a greenblooded dancer, one of the few people in the bar that was still moving.”Sit dowvn lad.” He mumbled, gesturing to one of the chair in front of him.  
Without saying a word, Eridan complied. There was so much he wanted to ask his ancestor, so many tales he wanted to hear from his lips but now the man himself sat in front of him, he didn’t dare to ask.

“So, howv did ya die lad?” Dualscar grumbled while pouring himself a glass of what looked like a strong alcoholic drink.

“Howw’d you knoww I’m dead?” Eridan asked insulted, really not interested in answering the question.

“Only the dead come here lad.” His ancestor answered.”Pretty sure most damned souls pass on immediately to wvhatewver oblivwion lies beyond this, but some o us….. Wve fall through the cracks.” He tapped the side of his nose and winked as if he just said something really clever. Eridan just nodded.

“So howv’d you get offed kid?” Dualscar asked, this time pouring two glasses of whatever drink he poured earlier.

“Sawwn in half by a rainbowwdrinker.”

Dualscar stopped pouring.

“Crazy, I knoww.”

His ancestor began guffawing and smashed his hand on the table.”Lad, that be the typical Ampora charm ya gat goin for ye there.” He laughed out.”Wve be doomed to get the wvorst luck, but we gat the best tales ya can find on the seas.”

“Wwell, howw did you die?” Eridan asked, legitimately interested.”I couldn’t find records of your death anywwhere.”

Dualscar took a shot from the glass on table and whipped his mouth clean.”Aye kid, ye ewver hung around them chucklevwoodoo motherfuckers?”

“Don’t remind me.” Eridan mumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Vwell, they be as insane as ma last kismesis.” Dualscar laughed bitterly. “Ta highblood showved me his ‘arts’ and before I knew up from down, I’d be walking trough ma memories.” He shoved a drink to Eridan and nodded at him.”Didn’t hawve them drinks on the homevworld did ya?”

“At least you’vve had a kismesis.” Eridan sighed.”Me, I got the full benefit of the your so-called, ‘Ampora-charm.” In a brave gesture, the young seadweller tried to shot the entire thing but coughed it up the moment he felt his throat burn. His ancestor was just laughing at him now.”This shit burns like hell!”

“Dat just means its working lad.” Dualscar laughed.”An vwhat are ya complainin about yer quadrants for?”

“I couldn’t hold any o them dowwn.” Eridan sighed while staring in what remained of his drink.”Wwhile you had both a kismesis an a matesprit.”

Dualscar sat back and looked strictly at his descendant.”Kid, ma kismesis vwas bloody mindfang and my matespritship vwith the condesce vwas a fuckin farce.” He leaned his hand on his hand and brought the entire bottle to his mouth. “An ewveryone knewv it.”

“At least you had them!” Eridan growled, trying to coolly swallow what remained of his drink.”I became a fuckin joke, the punchline of my team.”

Dualscar just looked at his descendant with a pained expression. Eridan couldn’t help but feel strange seeing the eyes of his ancestor like that. He almost looked sad to see him like that.”Lad….” he said quietly.”Hawving my quadrants filled didn’t make me any less of a fuckin punchline to ta highblood.”

Eridan sighed.”I just wwanted…….” He mumbled.”I just wwanted someone to call my owwn.”

“Sounds like ya needed a moirail more then a matesprit kid.”

“Don’t EVVEN get me started on wwhat a load a shit that is.”

Dualscar took a few large swigs of the bottle before slamming it down the table and burping loudly.”Kid, hawving yer quadrants filled doesn’t mean SHIT if ya fill it vwith the vwrong people, ya knowv?” The adult troll said, dusting of his chestplate.”Just look at yer ancestor fer that.”

Eridan looked up at his ancestor, the troll he used to hope he’d be like.

“Then, howw do I find the right people to fill my quadrants wwith?”

“Lad……” Dualscar sighed, putting a hand on Eridan’s shoulder.

 

 

“Ya’ll probly knovw it vwhen ya see em.”


	2. Messiahs be damned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the worst religious person meets the worst atheist

There was a darkness surrounding Gamzee Makara as he wandered through an unfamiliar dreambubble. He didn’t mean to get knocked out in the waking world, but the mirthful messiah blessed him with a break after shooting him with 2 clips worth of automatic fire.

He was good to him like that.

The young Makara wandered through halls so dark even the dersites would have been jealous. Despite that, he wasn’t interested in finding the owner of these memories at all; he just wanted to wake up and find his lord so he could serve him once more.

After a long trek through the dull halls the walls began changing; instead of solid darkness they slowly became more colorful. Greens, blues, reds, yellows even some purples were smeared across the hall to brighten up the dreary hallway.

When the hall finally led him to a large room all he found was a throne beset by a giant indigoblood with incredibly long curved horns and a wicked smirk. The ground beneath him and the walls around him were painted in the brightest colors the hemospectrum had to offer.

Gamzee would have considered it a miracle, if he hadn’t been pre-occupied with bigger and better things.

“and who THE UNHOLY MOTHERFUCK, trespasses in my domain.” The highblood roared, leaning forward to observe the tiny troll that entered his room. “do you have A MOTHERFUCKING DEATHWISH you littlest of motherfuckers?”

Gamzee looked up into the mad eyes of his ancestors and recalled the memory of having a pair of broken shades on his nose. “you’re the only dead motherfucker IN THIS MESSIAH-FORSAKEN PIECE OF SHIT HELLHOLE.” Gamzee answered. He didn’t have the time to deal with this relic of the past.

The grand highblood’s dark chuckles echoed through the room. “your symbol, your horns and that MOTHERFUCKING ATTITUDE speak volumes wriggler.” He said, his low voice booming trough the room.”What is the name you chose?”

“Don’t wanna give it to just ANY RANDOM FOSSIL I come across in my dreams!” Gamzee roared defiantly to his ancestor before receiving a powerful backhand and being flung across the room.

His ancestor looked at him with narrowed eyes but his grin remained as wicked as a moment ago.”Wriggler, when your MOTHERFUCKING ANCESTOR asks you your name….. you MOTHERFUCKING answer.”

Gamzee tried to get back on his feet. Were he of lesser blood, the blow would have definitely killed him, but to him it was little more than a dislocated shoulder.”Gamzee Makara.” He said, a little humbled but with a venomous edge in his voice. He dusted his clothes of and defiantly took his place back in front of his ancestor.

The grand highblood threw his head back and bust out in laughing so loud the entire room began shaking. The bard however stoically stood his ground and waited for his ancestor to finish laughing. Amused the giant troll leaned forward, almost pressing his own forehead against that of his descendant. He peered into the broken shades and grinned.  
”What a stupid fucking name.”

Gamzee said nothing till his ancestor got out of his face.”Just say whatever the MOTHERFUCK YOU WANT OLD MAN.” he said once he had some space again.“I’ll be gone in a flash WHILE YOUR FUCKING CARCASS ROTS HERE for a motherfucking eternity.”

The adult troll smirked.”What does a wriggler like yourself DO IN THE GRAND LAND OF THE LIVING?” he asked as if he was expecting a joke.

The eyes of the bard narrowed.”I did what you failed to do. I FOUND THE MIRTHFUL MESSIAHS and I, MOTHERFUCKING I, am his humble servant.”

The highblood sat back on his throne and looked dumbfounded at his descendant, his eyes never blinking. Then he chuckled, which became snorting and finally turned into a howling laughter that threatened to deafen the young troll.  
As the bard looked up he realized the room had shifted into the very recent memory of being shot in the chest by the Lord of Time.”LOVE YOUR BOSS KID!” The highblood shrieked in laughter while the dream bubble changed into his throne room again.

“Have some motherfucking respect man.” Gamzee grumbled in barely controlled anger. If the highblood wasn’t a ghost he would have reigned down his club on the thick skull of his ancestor.”THAT IS THE MIRTHFUL FUCKING MESSIAH YOU’RE MOCKING LIKE A FUCKIN BLASPHEMER!”

The grand highblood slumped a little in his throne to make himself more comfortable and rested his head on his hand. “Do I look like I give THE SMALLEST OF FUCKS about the mirthful messiah, YOU INSOLENT FUCKING WRIGGLER?!”

“He’s only THE FUCKING PROPHET WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!” Gamzee screamed at his ancestor. He couldn’t believe the levels of blasphemy this guy was operating on.

“well fuck him.”

Gamzee gritted his teeth; ghost or not, he really wanted to fight his ancestor. “careful bro.” He growled angrily. “you are sounding awfully like A MOTHERFUCKING ATHEIST!”

“Tell me child…..” the highblood said in his own barely constrained rage. Gamzee figured it was the permanent mood of his ancestor anyway.”What do you do for your messiah?”

“Anything he asks of me!” Gamzee replies.”WHENEVER, AND WHEREVER HE FUCKING NEEDS ME”

The giant indigoblood smirked.”Tell me kiddo, do you need his PERMISSION TO GO TO THE FUCKING LOADGAPER?!”

“No.”

“DO YOU NEED HIS MOTHERFUCKING PERMISSION TO DO AS YOU PLEASE?!”

Gamzee took a step back.”Well, the little motherfucker insists on---“

“THEN SCREW HIM!”

Gamzee’s rage just took over at this point and he brought down his club on the grand highblood. Much to his shock though, his ancestor barely flinched. The young bard never seemed to realize just how large the monsterous troll was until he was flung across the room effortlessly.”You need to be motherfucking quiet when your elders are talking wriggler.”

“You want….” Gamzee chuckled while leaning on his club to support himself.”YOU WANT ME TO FORGET THE MIRTHFULL MESSIAH?!”

“Yes….” the grand highblood spread his arms ceremoniously.”screw the messiah! SOD THE FUCKING RULES HE FORCES UPON YOU! fuck doing shit you don’t want because of some ancient mandate! FORGET THESE POINTY THINGS ARE HORNS AND JUMP RIGHT ON!!!!!!” the adult troll was laughing, chuckling and even honking maniacally. Gamzee could only stand there and watch, not going to risk getting flung across the room again.  
“DO IT, NOT BECAUSE SOME MOTHERFUCKER CALLING HIMSELF YOUR LORD ORDERS IT!” he roared to the ceiling. “do it because you want to do it…… do it because it makes you motherfucking tingle.”

“you motherfucking done?” Gamzee growled. His time was clearly wasted here; time he could have spent working for the angel of double death.

“Yes….” the highblood growled.”IF THAT UNHOLY FUCKING ROAR DIDN'T GET TROUGH then clearly your own freedom IS MOTHERFUCKING LOST ON YOU!”

Gamzee chuckled grimly at his ancestor.”I FOUND MY FREEDOM IN THE EYES OF THE MESSIAHS!”

 

And with that said he woke up.

The wounds on his chest were already closed, but the marks on his skin and the tears in his totally legit godtier outfit remained. He got up and looked around, but could only see the leprechauns moving about.

He’d continue looking for Caliborn and was determined to follow the every command of his messiah.

 

Fuck what that old man was saying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nop, still don't like Gamzee. GHB has some fun about him though. I just thought there was something delightfully ironic in making him an atheist.
> 
> Aaaand that life-lesson became incredibly muddled because I had too much fun pitting the worst religious nutter against the biggest atheist asshole. Original idea was the philosophy of taking the freedom of chosing your own path and that's still in there somewhere. I think.
> 
> Next chapters will have to wait until I updated the other ongoing fics.


	3. Blue Cruel Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Equius meets his ancestor.

It didn’t take long for Equius Zahhak to realize what had happened.

The arrival of his moirail had removed all the doubt in his mind.

The two of them fell apart, not sure who was to blame, where they were or what to do next. She decided she needed time, he decided he wanted to be by himself for a while.  
It was the first time since sweeps that the young blueblood found himself truly alone.

And so he wandered his memories. His training and education with Arthour, his uncomfortable truce with his neighbor, meeting her for the first time, meeting Aradia, entering the game, Aradia’s robotbody, the highblood…..

Everything exactly the way he remembered it. Looking back on everything, he felt like a fool.

After what felt like sweeps of wandering, the young troll discovered a strange cave bearing his symbol. Even though it was right there in the open, everyone else seemed to ignore it or somehow failed to notice it was there.

Determined to find out why this cave bore his symbol he entered.

It was unreal. The darkness of the cave was so thick it felt like he could not move. Everything was muted as if the very shadows absorbed the sound. And yet, Equius moved on, until hearing a low voice at the end of the darkness.

“Who goes there?”

Equius was a little surprised hearing such an ancient voice. Considering the cave bore his symbol he assumed it to be another one of his doomed selves that had claimed the place as his own. Instead, an unknown factor inhabited this place.

“Pardon my intrusion.” Equius spoke as politely as possible while stepping out of the darkness.”I could not help but notice this place bore my sign and curiosity got the better of me.” He made a small bowing gesture.

The adult troll in front of him had two long and proud arrow shaped horns. He hid his eyes behind dark shades and had long, greasy black hair. The sign on his metalworkers outfit was blue, and to Equius’ surprise, very familiar.  
“I had preferred no descendant of mine would have to meet me like this….” the adult troll said, with a blue blush and a grim expression on his face.

Equius’ mouth fell wide open.”Y-You must be E%ecutioner Darkleer!” he stammered. Like most highbloods he had been fascinated with tales of his ancestor and his was a proud one; an archeradicator that rose through the ranks to become an e%ecutioner under the empress herself. The adult blueblood however seemed less then pleased with his visitor.

“I’m not an e%ecutioner child.” Darkleer said. He sounded as if he hadn’t used his voice in sweeps and sat down his workbench with an exhausted sigh.

“You rose to become the empress’ bodyguard?” Equius asked as he begun sweating profusely.”Is…. Is that why I could never discover the details of your life? They were secret records?”

Darkleer chuckled, a joyless bitter chuckle.”That….. I could never do.” He said in a grim voice.”Sit down child. Tell me what name you chose.”

Equius sat down on the opposite side of the workbench, trying very hard to keep his glands under control but failing to do so. Without a word, his ancestor passed him a towel.”Equius Zahhak sir.” He said.

“A STRONG name child.”

“Thank you sir.”

There was an awkward silence between the two of them, neither of them entirely certain how to begin conversation with a family member they were never supposed to meet.”So…..” Darkleer mumbled, awkwardly scratching his neck.”How did your quadrantlife fare during your lifetime, Equius?”

“I’d…..” Equius sputtered, thinking of how Nepeta left him.”I’d rather discuss a different subject sir.” He looked up to face his ancestor.”Such as what happened after your time as an e%ecutioner.”

Darkleer looked at his tools and sighed, whipping away a strand of greasy hair from his face.”A tale I promised myself not to tell a soul…..” he sighed miserably.”But for my descendant…..I shall make an exception.” Equius’s ears perked up hearing his ancestor acknowledge him: one of the proudest moments in his life/death.

“Do you know of the sufferer’s rebellion?”

For hours the adult spoke to the wriggler. Tales of the politics of days past, tales of a revolution without bloodshed, tales of the cruelty of the empress and the execution of a mutant.

“You spared a convict….sir” Equius repeated after hearing what happened to the followers of the mutant.

“I spared an innocent.” Darkleer corrected.”The words of the Sufferer…. They confused me so, but for a moment I saw myself for what I was…. How many people had I killed in my lifetime and how many of them truly deserved it….. In my moment of hesitation, I told her to run.”

Equius looked down, feeling disappointed in his ancestor. He realized now the reason Darkleer’s name was scrapped of the records; he was a traitor to the empire.”I……I am reluctant to ask…” Equius said, cleaning his forehead.”But what happened after your……. Betrayal, sir?”

Darkleer sat back and absentmindedly began working on a robot arm.”For my many years of service….” He said in a gruff voice.”I was exiled and spent sweeps in this cave before…….”

“Before what?” Equius asked, hastily adding a “sir.”

The exile sighed and stood up. Equius watched in awe as the memory of his ancestor created the shadow of wild looking woman.”I wanted to thank you exile.” She said. Her soft voice reminded Equius of Nepeta.

“Can you forgive me?” Darkleer asked. His voice had become so small, pitiable and even desperate the moment the woman appeared.

The shadow woman shook her head.”I will never forgive you Darkleer.” She said. Though her voice was kind, Equius could feel the sting of her words.”But because of you, his legacy can live on. And for that, I cannot thank you enough.”

And like that the memory faded.

“Who was that?”

“The convict I spared…..” Darkleer sighed helplessly.”I…. became infatuated with her and….. fiddlesti%. Such lewd pale thoughts must not materialize here in front of my descendant.”

Equius nodded. He could understand pale attraction better than most trolls his age.”Why show me that?”

The memories changed again.”To make you understand why I did this….” the cave turned into a cellar; the workbench and equipment changed for what looked like a bed and surgery tools. The cellar was filled with wounded commoners from every caste. The dark cave had become very bright.

And Darkleer’s sign had become grey.

“W-what did you do!?” Equius asked in shock.

“Redemption for my life as archeradicator.” The adult sighed but with a weak smile round his lips.”I was good in two things child, archery and robotics, killing and creating…… So, in an attempt to wash my own slate clean......I.... Well.”  
As Equius looked closer he realized nearly every one of those lowbloods got equipped with robotic arms, legs, eyes or ribs. They looked grateful and thanked their benefactor; a blueblood who disgraced the empire and hid his true caste.  
“An attempt to make that beautiful oliveblood forgive me……” His ancestor sighed.

“And did she?”

Darkleer shook his head.”It was too late for us…..” he said with a grim smile.”I always hoped that, perhaps, in another life, another time, she could forgive me…..”

The shadowy oliveblood appeared again. Though her face was obscured by Darkleer’s memory Equius did see her symbol.

 

A blue tear dripped down his cheek.

“I believe she has…..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So did this one really quick, but I am really satisfied with the result. Hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Moral of the story: No one is past redemption.


	4. Arachnids comfort

It was a shock when Terezi killed her.

That’s not to say she never expected it, merely that it came as a surprise. But the relation between the sisters had been strained at best and antagonistic at worst since the cycle of revenge began.  
No matter how ‘ok’ Aradia had been with her death or how much stronger she made Tavros, the seer wouldn’t hear it. Instead, she would play mind games on Vriska and pretend to be completely fine with being blind.

“And they call me the crazy one.”

It didn’t take long for Vriska to figure out the structure of the bubbles; how she could meet people who were dead, much like her. Johns, Daves, Jades, a lot of Nepetas but for some reason no Gamzee. Not that she felt a need to chat with the clown.  
She thought she could get a kick out of finding dead Terezi’s, but they just made fun of her for being killed by their alpha version. Somehow the beta versions of the blind girl were more infuriating then the alpha product.

Without a purpose Vriska wandered through the dreambubbles. Perhaps she was still looking for a way out, perhaps she just wanted to find a corner of her memory to disappear in; the afterlife does funny things to your head and even she wasn’t entirely sure anymore about what she was doing anymore.  
She traveled past burning brains, floating synapses, magma and clockwork until she found herself in a familiar memory; one of her favorites.

The bubble created a cerulean cavern, only recently emerged from the ocean. In her youth Vriska could not resist the call to adventure and when the young Vriska went anywhere her kismesis would follow.

“Are wwe quite done?” Eridan groaned, absentmindedly kicking a pebble. They had been exploring the system of caverns for hours and the young Ampora had seen enough rock and stone to last him a lifetime.

Vriska flipped her hair over her shoulder and smirked.”If you are too much of a baby to search for a decent treasure then go ahead.” She chuckled while going deeper into the caves.

“Are you kiddin?” Eridan followed his kismesis and lit up a lantern to light the path ahead of them.”If this cavve submerges again for some reason you wwill be fishbait. And no one kills you but me.”

“Oh Ampora” Vriska swooned mockingly, dramatically placing her hand on her forehead.”You are soooooooo romantic.”

“Put a sock in it.”

They descended further into the underground system before entering an underground clearing where the two of the could actually stand. Vriska noticed an odd pattern running over the ground, seemingly made from something other than rock like the rest of the cave.  
“Eridan, give me your lantern.”  
“Say please.”  
After a quick kick to the shins Eridan surrendered the lantern and allowed Vriska to inspect the pattern. A cerulean shape that looked like the letter M was drawn on the ground and even though Vriska couldn’t tell what it was made of, she realized it was her symbol.

As she inspected the place that should have held the ‘stinger’ of the symbol she noticed it led away from the room they were in. Eager to uncover more behind her symbol, perhaps even her ancestry, she followed the stinger, ignoring Eridan calling after her.

The cerulean trail led her to a different part of the caverns; where before it was all rocks and darkness, this part was made out of the same cerulean material and had a dim, mysterious lighting. As she took her first curious step inside, the cavern closed with a loud clamor.

Vriska clearly remembered this part; locked up in the cerulean caverns with no one but Eridan to come to her rescue….. eventually. Regardless, she let the memory play out without trying to force her free will on the matter; she was actually rather fond of this memory. It was a much simpler, much more innocent time.

As she waited for Eridan to come and rescue her she walked further into the cerulean room, but quickly found it dead ended. In an alcove however she spotted exactly what she came there for; a treasure chest bearing her sigil.  
With nostalgic glee she opened the heavy chest, revealing it to be largely empty. There was a smaller box she knew contained the fluorite octet, there was Mindfang’s journal and a white cue ball.

She realized that this was the moment she got stuck in his web.

She remembered that from here on out, she’d be dancing to his tune.

In frustration she defied her memory and threw the white cue ball against the cerulean walls. Not a dent, of course, but it made her feel a little better.

“Aaaaaaaah, so that’s how you found my fluorite octet.” Came a dark voice behind her. Instinctively Vriska grabbed her dice and turned around to face whomever invaded her dream bubble. However, the moment she saw the elegant adult troll sitting on the treasure chest she froze in shock.  
All eight dice landed on 1’s; they just rolled around a bit before causing a tiny explosion with the intensity of a small fire cracker.

It was like looking into a mirror that made her taller and sexier. Her horns, her eyes even the fact that she had a metal arm matched up nearly perfectly. She even wore the exact outfit she’d get when rolling 8^8.  
“M-M-M-M-Mindfang?” Vriska stuttered, unconsciously trying to fix her hair. She didn’t know she could find her ancestor in these bubbles. She would have tried.

The troll simply chuckled as she hopped of the chest and walked past Vriska.”So how did you escape?” she asked looking at the closed off entrance.

“I-I…..” Vriska stuttered before regaining her cool; she couldn’t look like a dork in front of her ancestor.”My dumbass kismesis came and blasted the cave open.” She said, a little embarrassed.”I would have done it myself with my….your dice eventually though.”

Mindfang turned her face and smiled at her descendant.”I’m sure you would have.” She said.”You seem capable enough.” Vriska could only nod in enthusiastic agreement; she was actually being praised by THE Mindfang.  
“So what was your life like?” the adult troll sat down as the cave changed into a ship’s cabin. She looked eagerly at her descendant, waiting for an answer.”Come on, don’t be shy. I just want to know how my spawn lived.”

Vriska began telling her about her life; how from that point on she tried to honor her ancestral legacy, how she found the descendant of the Summoner, how she and her friends destroyed the planet, how she became a god and how she was finally killed at the hand of Terezi. The mention of another Pyrope did give Mindfang a good laugh, but aside from that that the adult troll seemed to be genuinely intrigued by her descendant.

“Tell me more kid.” She said with a smirk on her face and a playful glint on her eyes.

Vriska said down on one of the recuperabunks and tilted her head.”Why are you so interested in me anyway?” she asked, a little careful to avoid offending her ancestor. She thought Mindfang’s approval was all she ever wanted, but now she got it she had no idea what was supposed to happen.

Mindfang chuckled as she remembered a bottle of rum in her hand.”Oh, I just love stories.” She said before taking a swig and offering her descendant the bottle.”And I take a bit of pride in hearing my descendant’s.”

“Well I finished telling thát story.” She grumbled, hesitantly taking a sip.”Besides…” she coughed as the alcohol burned down her throat.”You knów how it ends. Sexy goddess gets killed by blind girl, the end, story’s over.” she carelessly tossed the bottle back to her ancestor.

“Is it over?” Mindfang asked with a knowing smirk.

“Well duh.”

Her ancestor shook her head.”Kid, you are still here are you not?” She chuckled at her descendant’s expression.”You are out of the game now sure, but you can still fight.” She took a large swig of the rum before sighing.

The thief considered it. The old outfit she was wearing changed back into her godtier outfit and her wings rested uncomfortably between the bunks. “Will you come with me?” Vriska asked, surprised at how child-like she sounded.”The two of us will be unstoppable!”

Mindfang just shook her head.”I have no interest in the living anymore.”

“But I—“

The glare of her ancestor silenced her.”You inherited a lot from me child….” She said almost solemnly.”You look, talk and carry yourself like I did centuries ago.”

“Millennia, actually—“

The solemn look turned into a grim smile.”But there is something else I see in you…. Something I lost when I found out how I would die.” The white cue ball rolled meaningfully into the bubble. The adult blueblood sank to her knees to look her descendant in the eye.”Tenacity…. Determination….” She whispered while wrapping her arms around her, careful and tender as if she was made of porcelain.

“I wanted to be like you….” Vriska whispered back, before wondering why she was whispering.”Like when you defeated Redglare ánd the Tyranny, even though you were cornered.” She hugged her ancestor back.

Mindfang smiled at her charge, stood up and kissed her forehead.”Don’t stop fighting Vriska.” She whispered. The bubble around them began to fade. The ship changed back into the caves and the image of Mindfang was flickering.

“Mindfang!”

Her ancestor faded away, as if she was entering a bubble that was all her own.”Never give up.” she said in a strict voice, as if she was commanding a pirate crew only she could see.”Our epic has only just begun! Make them pay for every inch and do not stop fighting until you are no longer able to punch, kick, bite or flail at them! ”

She was disappearing into her own bubble.Her lips could only form three more wordless syllables before her image disappeared completely.

 

Vriska was back in the cerulean caves, looking stunned at the spot where her ancestor had been.

She thought about what her ancestor had told her. Part of her was still ecstatic she got to meet her; the Mindfang, the troll she modeled herself after. Another part was sad they couldn’t stay together for longer. There was so much she wanted to learn from her.

And another part of her was irritated.

“Who does she think she is?” she said to no one in particular.”Thinking I need a peptalk for wrigglers about not losing hope.” The bubble around her began to change and turn into a different memory of a different place.”I’ll show her, heck, I’ll be out of here in no time!”

 

 

With new determination Vriska Serket began to explore the bubbles. It felt like a year of constant bubblehopping and memorycrossing had passed but finally she found her ancestor again in the form of Aranea Serket.

And even though she was disappointed in how she turned out, together they were sure to find a way back to the land of the living.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Must........Resist........Serketcest.
> 
> What could Mindfang logically teach Vriska? I ask because I am not sure.
> 
> Vriska has been emulating her for her whole life and Mindfang is one of the most developped ancestors so we actually have an idea on how she'd react; Its more likely they would high-five each other for being awesome.  
> A lesson about individuality perhaps? But why would Mindfang not be flattered by her descendant emulating her?
> 
> I tried giving her a bit of Aranea but now it just feels she's too kind for Mindfang. Do'h well. (Don't mind the writer's self-flagilation and internal monologue. Carry on.)


	5. Turnabout Generations

“Those are some pretty cool glasses.”

A low cackle echoed through the bubble Terezi had found herself in. She was just walking around in a memory of her land of thought and flow, with teal colored synapses moving through the air and a complaining young mutant by her side. Business as usual for the passengers of the meteor.

As the bubble began to shift however so did her land, transforming it into a large hall that Terezi was certain she had never been in, yet made her oddly nostalgic. It looked a lot like the set of an old courtroom drama she watched on Alternia, though she would never admit that to Karkat.

A large high bench on the end of the room where his honorable tyranny would take his seat, two benches on both sides of the room for the prosecution and the defense and a stand for the defendant in the middle of the hall so the potential perpetrator would be watched from all angles. For the big cases such as “the finslayer chronicles” or the “oliveblood serial rapist” an audience was allowed, but this was largely so they would mob up on the culprit once he was sentenced.  
One should never deny a crowd their lynching.

Terezi walked over to the prosecution’s stand, stretched her finger towards an imaginary defendant and yelled:”OBJECTION!”, her shout echoing against the walls. She cackled a little; she imagined it would feel a lot cooler doing it during an actual trial, rather than yelling trough an empty hall. She stepped away from the stand and wanted to explore the hall further.

“OVERRULED.” Another voice echoed through the hall.

As the seer of mind turned around she sensed an adult version of herself, wearing her FLARP outfit. It was impossible; there was no way shé could be in these dreambubbles as she had no relevance to the game.  
And yet she was there. Redglare was smiling her own razor sharp smile back at her. The bubble morphed and Terezi found herself on the defendant stand. Redglare meanwhile took place on the prosecution bench. A hulking black figure roared “Silence” through the hall; his honorable tyranny.  
As Terezi smelled around she realized there was a crowd as well, anticipating a sentence.

“What is going on?” the young troll asked confused.  
“You are being accused of a most heinous crime.” The adult said, her mouth a strict line.  
Terezi wanted to back off, she didn’t do anything wrong (“well, except maybe that thing with Vriska?”).”I didn’t do anything that warrants a trial!” she said, evasively.  
Redglare cackled.”You are accused of taking my glasses.” She laughed.”And looking absolutely adorable in them!”

The bubble shifted more drastically this time. The benches became desks and the defendant’s seat became a dragon’s pile, as the giant form of Pyralsprite was taking a nap. Terezi couldn’t help but draw the comparison between her favorite scalemate and the lusus, and determined that the next incarnation of the plushie needed to be significantly bigger.  
But as the seer looked up she spotted a problem; something that went against everything she assumed about the bubbles.

“How can you be here?” she asked as Redglare sat down behind her desk.  
The adult troll simply grinned.”How can YOU be here?” she replied.”This is my office.”  
“This is a memory.” Terezi reasoned “Your memory. A dreambubble.”  
Redglare nodded as she pretended to look trough some files.”Astute observation.”  
“But there is no way you can be here. You didn’t play the game.”  
The adult troll put down her files and walked over to her descendant, laying a hand on her shoulder.”Try not to think about it too much.” She said.  
Terezi’s eyes narrowed behind her glasses.”What is going on here?”

Redglare sat down against Pyralsprite and invited the younger troll to sit next to her.”I admit, I do not know.” she said calmly.”It feels like yesterday that I died.”  
“It’s been eons.”  
The adult troll took off her glasses to reveal her white eyes.”I do not know why I am here.” She said. Her voice carried something soothing.”Or for how long. Just that I am.” The soothing voice became a little higher, a little sadder.”Could it be you did not want to meet me?”  
She hadn’t finished asking the question when Terezi threw her arms around her ancestor.”Of course I wanted to meet you!” she said, throwing caution to the wind.”I wanted to meet you for so long!”  
Redglare hugged her descendant back.”I wanted to meet you too.” she said, almost motherly.”It is a rare privilege to meet your descendant…. I wanted to talk to you.”  
“About what?”  
“Anything.”

The adult troll was pleasantly surprised with her descendants enthusiasm and the two of them began discussing their lives, the similarities and the differences. Redglare seemed a little bitter when Terezi mentioned another Serket, but cackled happily when she learned her descendant killed her.  
Terezi was fascinated about Redglare’s work, short-lived as it was; She had always been. But nothing beat hearing it from the source. She felt like she could listen for hours to the soothing voice of her ancestor as she talked about the nuances of court.  
“No really.” the adult troll cackled.”Since the noodlestand incident it has been illegal to sell east-alternian products within a 2 mile radius of the courthouse.”

Redglare tried prodding Terezi into telling more about herself. The younger troll mentioned how she never knew her lusus until she got blinded by her teammate (“Serket….” Redglare growled.), how she found Redglare’s treasure, how she based her FLARP character on the adult troll and how important her story became to her.  
“Did my treasure include this pendant per chance?” Redglare asked, hesitantly showing a tiny pendant with a steel grey symbol. The younger troll shook her head.”Good.”  
“I really looked up to you as a wriggler.” Terezi sighed, taking comfort in her ancestor’s smell. So very similar to her own, but with a spice she couldn’t identify.”I’ve always wanted to bring justice to those who broke the law.”

To her surprise the adult snickered and cuddled closer.”Do you want to know a secret, little one?” she whispered as if she was about to reveal a conspiracy. Of course, what else could Terezi do but hang on her every word.”Getting justice and following the law don’t always go hand in hand.”  
Terezi let the word echo through her head, trying to find the meaning of her words. It didn’t make much sense to her. Redglare seemed to notice the confused expression of her descendant and elaborated further.

“A seadweller harasses a lowblood’s matesprit.” Redglare began.”The lowblood kills the seadweller and gets sentenced to death in court.” Terezi nodded and her ancestor continued.”A lowblood harasses a seadweller’s matesprit. The seadweller kills the lowblood and nothing happens.”  
“You think the law is wrong?” Terezi asked, shocked by this revelation.  
“I think the law is unbalanced.” Redglare corrected.  
“The law is what kept Alternia from falling to anarchy.” Terezi reasoned.”The threat of being put on the stand is the only thing holding the more violent groups of our society back.”  
Redglare shook her head.”That may be, but the law is unbalanced.” She said, subconsciously touching her necklace.”The odds are skewered too much.   
Terezi looked at her ancestor in confusion. She could hardly believe what she was hearing.”But what about your hunt for Mindfang? Did she--”  
“Oh, she was a psychopath who deserved it.” Her ancestor chuckled and ruffled her hair.”Don’t worry too much about it.” she said, grinning her sharpest grin.”You have far bigger responsibilities.” Terezi didn’t understand why, but hearing her ancestor say that made her swell in pride. “Just promise me something.”  
“Anything.”

“When the time comes Terezi, follow your own sense of justice.”

”I always have.”  
“Good. I am very glad to hear that.

Suddenly Redglare’s hug became a lot tighter as the bubble slowly faded. The desk was changing into the entrance to a grey hallway on the meteor, Pyralsprite turned into another grey wall and the adult troll was slowly fading.

“It was nice meeting you Terezi.” She said, slowly closing her eyes.”I had fun.”

“Me too…” Terezi said, her voice a lot higher then she intended. She shocked herself with how sad she sounded.

And like that, the young seer of mind found herself back on the meteor, with nothing to do but wait until arriving in the next session. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More pretentious life-lessons. Huzzah.
> 
> Kanaya/Dolorosa will probably be a lot of fun.


	6. No regrets

“Back again, little one?”

Kanaya nodded as she approached the adult jadeblood; an elegant woman dressed in a robe unlike anything she had ever seen before. Her face was a nearly perfect reflection of her own.  
She had discovered her ancestor the last time they entered the dreambubbles, when facing her dancestor proved too intimidating and she couldn’t stand being around a drunken Rose for a moment longer. She wandered into a memory of a dessert near the brooding caves on Alternia, where she first met the woman she came to know as the Dolorosa.  
The Dolorosa treated her with a calm kindness that reminded Kanaya of her lusus and she instantly felt at home.

“Sit with me child.” The motherly troll said. As Kanaya sat down she saw the Dolorosa was working on a grey robe with red stitches.  
”You do not talk much do you?” The adult continued. Kanaya just shook her head; Porrim and the Dolorosa were both incredibly intimidating. Both of them seemed so perfectly at ease with themselves and so incredible feminine. The Dolorosa however also had an air or serenity around her. Kanaya felt drawn to her.

“Surely there must be something more amusing then watching me sew.” The adult troll chuckled while putting the robe away.”Would you not like to converse?”  
Her descendant shook her head.”I am content.” She said with a small voice. The Dolorosa gave her a pitying look.  
“Perhaps I should simply talk to myself.” She said in a motherly voice.”Feel free to interrupt at any juncture you choose.” Kanaya gave a quick nod.

“As you are probably well aware, our caste comes with a certain responsibility.” The Dolorosa began talking. Kanaya briefly tensed up feeling the hand of the adult go through her hair.”When we reach maturity we would be called upon to take care of the mothergrub. It is a great honor and I served her for more sweeps then I cared to count.”

The memory of the outside of the brooding cavern shifted. There was a crater, a jade shadow standing on the rim and the cries of a wriggler. With a visible amount of hesitation the shadow descended into the crater.  
“Until one day, my responsibility changed.” The Dolorosa chuckled as she witnessed the event again. Kanaya was hanging upon her every word.”I found a mutant wriggler, outside the brooding caverns, crying his little lungs out until I held him. Protocol stated that I should have culled him where I found him…. But I couldn’t kill the creature. I made a bold decision that night. I ran.”

Once more the dreambubble changed. This time, they found themselves on the plains of Alternia, comfortably in the shade of a tree. The jade and scarlet shadow appeared to be argueing together. “It was difficult….” The Dolorosa sighed.”Taking on the role of a lusus. I had to be his first and last line of defense, his teacher and his caretaker. Some nights I wondered if I made the right decision.”  
Kanaya nodded. She could understand having second thoughts.  
“Other nights however….” The ancestor continued.”I found myself happier then the brooding caverns ever made me.”

Kanaya wanted to raise a question, but the memories continued. The scarlet shade was speaking to an anonymous crowd. His ‘mother’ was sitting nearby, scrutinizing the people.  
“As he grew older he began getting visions.” The Dolorosa sighed.”Visions of a peaceful Alternia, of equality and love among trollkind. Well, you can imagine how that ended.” She tenderly stroke Kanaya’s hair.”I stood by him though. Until the night the highbloods came, I stood by him. I watched his crowds grow, I saw him fall in love I…” her breath hitched a little.”I had never been so proud.”

The memory of the crowds faded and the stage was set for an execution.”This memory is somewhat unpleasant….” The Dolorsa sighed. Instead of a shadow taking her place this time however, the Dolorosa herself was shackled to the ground. She was forced to watch as the mutant she cared for all those sweeps was put to death; tortured by burning shackled and put out of his misery with a well placed arrow.  
The way he cursed the crowd reminded Kanaya of one of her friends. She ran over to the Dolorosa to try and remove the shackles.  
“This is a memory child….” The ancestor said with a hint of amusement in her solemn voice.”I could break free if I wanted too.”  
“Then why don’t you?” Kanaya asked confused while trying to pull her free.  
The Dolorosa looked down.”Because I would try to change that which has already been set in stone.” She sighed as the words of the mutant died out.

Finally they found themselves in the hold of a ship. The dress of the Dolorosa was changed by a colorless rag. Though absorbed in the story, Kanaya was a little saddened by the loss of the dress. “Where are we now?” the younger troll asked.  
The Dolorosa smiled kindly and sat down on the bunk.”I was deemed…….” Her face twisted a bit.”A curiosity, by our captors. I was sold to one Orphaner Dualscar and….” She rolled her eyes.”Liberated’ by Mindfang.”  
“You were a slave.” Kanaya concluded. The names of her owners were far too familiar for comfort. The Dolorosa shrugged.”I was a chip in their kismetic game.”  
“That is awful!”  
“My time with Mindfang was not…. entirely unpleasant.” The Dolorosa chuckled.”The way she would ask me to read her stories made me nostalgic for the days of his youth.”  
“And……” Kanaya found herself hesitant to ask about the details she remembered from Vriska’s diary.”What about….. Er….”  
“A lady never tells, dear child.”  
“Oh.”

“And finally…..” The Dolorosa sighed as the door to the hold was rammed open. There was a flash; the sound of a small explosive and the bubble faded to black.”I was assassinated, as part of Dualscar’s admittedly hilariously inept black campaign against Mindfang.” The memory returned to the dessert outside the brooding caverns.  
“I’m sorry…..” Kanaya mumbled.”I had no idea.”  
“Well, I didn’t exactly leave clues for a possible descendant.” The adult quietly picked the grey robe again and began stitching it.”There is no need to be sorry.”  
“Don’t you…..” the younger troll was hesitating again.”Don’t you wish you hadn’t picked him up? When you found him I mean? And…. Oh dear this is really personal isn’t it. I’m sorry.”  
The Dolorosa laughed elegantly.”Dear, that is the most you ever talked to me. Had I known talking about my past would bring this about, I would have done so last time.”

“Thank you?” Kanaya mumbled hesitantly.”But… Don’t you wish that—“  
“Not for a moment.” The adult said resolute.  
Kanaya was dumbfounded.”But….” she sputtered.”You died a barkbeast’s death…. No disrespect. Don’t you wish you hadn’t?”  
The Dolorosa wrapped an arm around Kanaya as the memory of that faithful night began anew.”I could have stayed in the brooding caverns.” She said calmly.”I would have grown old there, I would have died there and I would have been content.”  
The jade shadow picked up the scarlet grub and held it tight against her bosom.  
“But I would have never known the joy that came when I found him.” She answered.”I wouldn’t have seen him grown, I wouldn’t have met the people I have….. I made my choices. I do not regret them.”  
“I see….” Kanaya mumbled. The bubble was shifting again. The meteor was leaving its boundaries.

“Remember Kanaya.” The Dolorosa said in a soothing voice.”Do not regret the choices that led you here.”

 

And like that she was gone. Kanaya was back in the meteor’s library joined by her matesprit who had fallen asleep with her bottle clutched in her hands.  
She pitied the human so, even if the stench and drunken behavior were horrible, the moments of sobriety were worth every moment. Tenderly she placed a kiss on her forehead and pulled a blanket over her.

She didn’t regret being there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's becoming increasingly difficult to keep these beneath a 1500 wordcount.


	7. One kind gesture

“The fierce huntress sneaks up on her pretty sister.”

“The….” She snickered.”Pretty sister doesn’t notice the huntress as she is distracted by her scriptures.”

Nepeta pounced on her ancestor. The adult Meulin wrapped her arms around her descendant and rolled through their cave laughing.

After deciding she needed some space from her moirail Nepeta wandered to many dreambubbles. Sometimes she met other versions of herself, who turned out just a little different. One became matesprits with Terezi, another died before they had their fight with the Black King and one was so radically different she had a dog for a lusus.  
Though she met a few post-scratch versions of her ancestor, she was very surprised to find the beta version of Meulin. Though she looked very similar to her counterpart, she was very different.

Nepeta looked up to her, but not in a manner she associated with the ancestral worship some other trolls had. She viewed Meulin as a role-model, yes, but also as a friend. Perhaps even a companion. According to the adult troll the two of them were more like ‘sisters’. Though Nepeta didn’t really know what it meant, she thought it was a fitting word for such a strange relationship.

“What do you want to do today Nepeta?” The Disciple purred. Nepeta curled up in her lap and smiled.  
“Do you want to tell me about your life?” she asked on a sugary sweet tone.  
“I’d rather discuss yours.” Meulin sighed.  
Nepeta puffed her cheeks up.”No faaaiir.” She groaned.”You never talk about yourself.”  
“It wasn’t that interesting, really.”  
“Then tell me!”

The Disciple sighed and sat back, looking at the rogue on her lap.”Can’t we just play a game of guess-that-ship?” Nepeta vehemently shook her head.  
“I told you efurrything about me.” she said with large eyes and pouting lips.”Why won’t you tell me?”  
“Because it really isn’t a fun story…..” Meulin said, petting her friend.  
“Aren’t we sisters?” Nepeta gasped.  
“We are……”  
“Then tell me…..”

With an annoyed groan, Meulin began her tale. With a warm nostalgia she told how she and her lusus lived isolated, far removed from society. With undeniable fondness she mentioned how she met a preacher, who desired nothing but peace among trolls. And, surprisingly bashful, she mentioned how attracted she felt to the troll that would become known as the Signless.

“He was your matesprit?” Nepeta asked, suddenly finding herself even more fascinated by her story. She loved tales of romance. The Disciple however, looked a little hurt as the memory changed to a rally where her lover was speaking to an anonymous crowd.  
“He was much more than that.” She whispered.”What we had….. transcended the quadrants.” Her descendant gasped in shock.”I know…. It must sound terrible to y—“  
“That’s the most romantic thing I efur heard!” Nepeta squeed. Meulin gave her a warm smile and continued petting the descendant curled up in her lap.

Her story continued as her memories began rapidly forming the dreambubble. Long talks under the pale moonlight, vows of eternal love, the mother’s blessing.  
Nepeta couldn’t help but notice how fast everything began changing and how fast Meulin was talking now.

She continued mentioning the long nights of passion, the peaceful revolution, the visions he shared and the scrolls she wrote.  
Faster and faster did the dreambubble change into chaotic landscapes. Forests, towns, gallows, deserts. Nepeta held her ancestor closer as it kept shifting. She noticed how her sister began crying as the story continued.

The story took a dark turn as Meulin told of the night the highbloods came. How the Psiioniic was taken away, how the Dolorosa got sold, how her lover got tortured and killed in front of her. How she, shamefully, escaped with her life.  
The bubble reflected the memory and the adult wailed the moment the mutant was struck with a blue arrow.  
Nepeta’s instincts took over and she comforted her shivering ancestor with careful administered paps. She placed a finger on her mouth and shooshed; she understood why Meulin was reluctant to talk about it.

“I had no idea….” Nepeta admitted.”I’m sorry.”  
The Disciple took a deep breath and shivered.”N-no….” she mumbled.”I’m sorry…. You shouldn’t see your anc….your sister like this.” she whipped the tears from her eyes and gave Nepeta a weak smile.  
“Uhm….. if you don’t mind….” The young oliveblood whispered.”How did you escape?”  
Meulin sniffed and took another moment to calm herself.”The man that executed the Signless.” She said in hushed tones.”Darkleer. He hesitated. He set me free.”  
“Darkleer?” Nepeta’s ears perked up.”Why did he let you go?”  
“I do not know…..” The Disciple scratched her sister behind her ear.”I hated him for it. I considered taking my own life many times so I could be reunited with the troll I loved.”  
Nepeta wanted to protest in shock, but Meulin continued.”But….. By letting me live.” She spoke, a soft smile forming around her lips.”I could make sure the words of the Signless found an audience. If I was killed with him, that would have been the end of it.”

Nepeta tilted her head.”So……” she mumbled.”What does that make him? Darkleer I mean.”  
Her ancestor shrugged helplessly.”I do not know.” she answered.”I hate him for killing the Signless, I truly do…. But because he let me live, his words still lived on.”  
“Does that make you black? Or pale purhaps?”  
Meulin chuckled and pushed the smaller troll of her lap.”Neither. I could nefur fill a quadrant with the man who killed the Signless…… But in a small way, I guess I was thankful.”  
“So pale then! That is so purf---“  
“Nepeta no.”  
“Ok….”  
“I suppose I might have been a little pale…..” Meulin admitted. Nepeta beamed hearing it.”Just a small crush mind you. It’s…. complicated. But by sparing me, by his one kind gesture he may very well have saved the legacy of the Signless. Even if I hate him, I am thankful for that…..”  
Nepeta bit her lip and nodded. She knew how complicated pale feelings could get. She didn’t fully understand everything about the story her sister told her, but it somehow made her long for a hug. A proper feelingsjam.

She felt a surprisingly Equius-shaped hole in her heart. She needed to find him again.

After giving another tight embrace, the rogue left the Disciple’s cave. Much to her surprise however, her moirail already found the cave and was standing in the entrance, looking awfully shy. It looked as if he had been standing there for a while, rehearsing what to say.

“H-Hi Nepeta.”  
“Hey…….”  
“Look I’m—“  
“Look I’m—“  
“………..”  
“You first?”  
“….I’m sorry.”  
“….Me too.”

Nepeta grabbed the hand of her moirail and smiled. He smelled and felt exactly the same, but somehow he seemed more mature. She wondered if her time with Meulin changed her much.

All she knew was that holding onto him felt like old times and that they had plenty more dreambubbles to explore together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, more obnoxious life-lessons; the change one kind gesture can make in a person's life. 
> 
> Took all my willpower to nót somehow reference Persona because of the moral. Next up; Sollux/Psiioniic


	8. Seeing double

Sollux was a little confused.

Even he had trouble keeping track of just how dead he was as he wandered through the dreambubbles. He was half blind, half dead and completely grumpy. Being left to his own devices somehow made matters worse. Aradia apparently saw someone she just HAD to meet, so there he was. Blindly going through him memories.

He found himself wondering whether or not he made the right choice in staying behind. Yeah, he helped the meteor on its way but it became such a bore to go through your own memories time and time again. There he was coding in his apartment, there he was coding in his apartment again, there he was still coding in his apartment. Occasionally he caught glimpses of himself arguing with Karkat or hanging out with Aradia, but he mostly just saw himself. Coding.

He didn’t regret spending most of his days like that, not at all. It just became a bore having to watch it over and over again. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had trouble with a simple e-mail hack, but there he was. 3 sweeps old Sollux on baby’s first hackjob.

It made him long for the moments his bubble would collide with others, just for the sake of some variety.

Despite this desire he was very surprised when he actually found himself in what appeared to be an empty spaceship. It was an abandoned mess with a thick layer of dust covering the ground…. And the corpses.  
Sollux didn’t really care for the scenery, but felt sorry for the poor sob that was dreaming of a place like this. Looking for something, anything to do he wandered through the ship, looking for the owner of the dreambubble. The bridge was abandoned, the cabins were empty and the cargo hold was deserted. A ghost ship.  
“Well that’s just great.”

It wasn’t until Sollux reached the engine room he found the ship’s only other living inhabitant. Even if he thought the ‘living’ part was up for debate.  
Sollux never really bought into the whole ancestor shtick on Alternia. Sure, there probably was a troll responsible for his creation, somehow, somewhere. He just never believed it would tie into some greater destiny of his. Hearing about his friends meeting their direct ancestors however made him realize that this meeting was going to happen sooner or later.

In front of him was the helmsman, or what was left of him. Most of his body seemed to be swallowed by the pink organic tissue; part of the ship’s engine. Crusted blood was all over his skin, making him look and smell absolutely disgusting.  
Somehow the memory still seemed to be going, torturing his ancestor. Though he regarded the scene with a morbid fascination he quickly cut the helmsman free.  
He knew he kept those throwing stars around for a reason.

His ancestor slumped down on the ships floor; his arms still bleeding from where the engine connected with him. Tentatively he pulled his legs out as well, trying to ignore the yellow blood staining the tissue.

The helmsman squirmed on the ground for a few seconds before realizing what was going on. He stood up straight and tore off the fuchia glasses. Sollux was slightly surprised at just how tall his ancestor really was.  
Once he seemed to be a little less disoriented the helmsman looked down to see his descendant. He sank down on one knee to look his descendant in the eye; white eyes to red and blue.

“Did you set me free?” the adult asked in a raspy voice.  
Sollux just shrugged.”Sorta.” he mumbled.”We’re in your memory here really. You probably could’ve freed yourself.”  
“My memory?” The helmsman asked, slightly confused.”How peculiar….” He sighed.”Does that mean that I am no longer?”  
“You mean you died?” Sollux asked. His ancestor talked kinda strange.”Probably yeah.”  
To his surprise his ancestor chuckled.”Oh that is glorious.” he laughed.”I was certain I would be that woman’s servant for all eternity.”  
“How long did you serve her?”

The ship changed around a bit as the helmsman attempted to remember. He looked through one of the computers on the bridge and looked at the date.  
“For a very long time.” he sighed miserably.”Regardless, I thank fate for bringing you here to free me, descendant of mine.” The helmsman sat down in what Sollux presumed to be the captain’s chair.”You áre my descendant correct?”  
“Four horns, bicolored eyes.” Sollux mumbled, sitting down next to him.”I think odds are, we’re related.”  
“Magnificent.” The helmsman sighed and ruffled Sollux’s hair.”I never would have guessed to be fortunate enough to encounter you. Tell me, what name did you chose?”  
“Sollux Captor.” The younger troll groaned. He didn’t like getting too friendly with this man.  
“A good name.” the helmsman nodded before extending his hand to his descendant.”I am Mituna.”

Sollux tentatively shook hands with his ancestor. Though he wanted to keep his distance, he felt some sort of kinship. Mituna didn’t seem too bad. Especially for someone who was used as an engine for what must have been centuries.  
“So what exactly is our goal here?” Mituna asked, looking at the tissue that kept him a prisoner for so long.”Did you come here to rescue me perhaps?”  
“You’re already dead remember?” Sollux mumbled. This was a weird situation.  
“Ah yes…..” Mituna pondered.”Such an odd realization. And you just happen to be visiting my memory?” his descendant gave a quick nod.”Fascinating. Can you enter anyone’s memories?”  
Sollux shrugged; his ancestor seemed very fascinated by the dreambubbles.  
”I don’t get a say in it.” he said.”Dreambubbles just kind of send you wherever.”  
The helmsman stroked his chin.”Intriguing.”

“So why were you still stuck there?” Sollux asked, wanting to steer the subject away from the dreambubbles he barely understood himself.”You probably died eons ago, you SHOULD have come across some other memories by now.”  
Mituna looked confused himself.”Other memories…..” he mumbled.”I do not recall visiting them.”

The bubble began changing again. Members of the crew were running around the ship in a panic and there was a loud noise echoing through the rooms. A noise Sollux recognized all too well.

“The vast glub?” He asked in disbelief.”You mean to say you’ve lived up until then?”  
“Ah.” Mituna grinned.”So her lusus had been my unlikely savior.”  
“…..Guess we both fucking died because of that.” Sollux mumbled quietly.

The two psychics sat in silence as they watched the crew of the ship drop like flies.

“So how did they get you to, you know….” Sollux gestured to the bloodied organic engine.”Never looked forward to being recruited as a battery.” It wasn’t uncommon for psychics to be forced into powering ships, much like the helmsman. He knew of the horror stories that came with the recruitment of psychics into the Alternian military.  
“That is quite an arduous, not to mention painful, story Sollux.” Mituna said with a wry smile.  
“Fuck, we got time.” The young mage sighed. “not like this dreambubble is going to end any time soon.”

“Well then….” The helmsman began.”To condense that story in something more palatable.…. let’s just say I said I would follow my dearest friend to hell and held true to my word.”  
“Fuck, that sounds stupid.”  
Mituna looked sheepishly at his descendant.”I confess,” he snickered ´I never expected to have to follow it through quite this rigorously.”  
“Then you must hate that fucker for putting you through this.” Sollux leaned forward and looked at his ancestor, expecting an answer. To his surprise however he shook his head.  
“I would have died many times for my friend.” He said solemnly.  
“Well that’s fucking stupid.” The mage sighed.  
“I would do anything for my friends.” Mituna continued.”I’d die in a heartbeat for them….. Though I am certain they all met their fates already.” He looked a little bitter realizing that.”The curse of being kept alive, I suppose.”  
“Yeah, sorry about that I guess.” Sollux said awkwardly.”Not sure what to say to a guy who should have died eons ago.”

His ancestor seemed to ponder for a moment.”Do you have any friends you would die for? Quadrantmates?” Sollux gave him an annoyed look.”You áre my descendant.” He hastily added.”I am supposed to care about these things I presume.”  
“If you mean; being put into an engine then no.” Sollux grumbled.”That stuff is terrible.”  
“And yet I wonder…..Would you die for your friends?” Mituna asked, avoiding the gaze of his descendant.”I’m curious. I know it sounds stupid, perhaps even colossally suicidal, but I would have gladly laid down my life for my friends. Though that may be an error on my own behalf. But, they were incredibly important to me and---“

 

“I don’t think it’s that stupid.” Sollux mumbled, interrupting his ancestor.”Did it twice already.”

 

Both of them sat in silence before they burst out laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's bond about dying.
> 
> Once again, let's play spot the head cannon.
> 
> 1) The inhabbitant greatly influences the dreambubble. The helmsman, unaware of his own death, remained in the memory of him being an engine.
> 
> 2) The helmsman/pre-accident Mituna, were very soft-spoken, posh and polite.
> 
> Only 4 of these fuckers left.


	9. Imagination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tavros meets his imaginairy confidence
> 
> Also; really should have thought this lil series out better before beginning. Hindsight is 20/20. Do'h well, gonna roll with it.

Your name is Tavros Nitram and moments after you died you realized your imagination is in fact a very real thing.

There he was, Rufioh, just the way the young troll imagined him. Strong, brave, a defiant red streaks in his hair, bronze wings on his back and horns so big they logically wouldn’t fit through any door. Tavros was awestruck in admiration and followed the troll trough the dreambubbles. Much like he imagined, Rufioh didn’t stay in one place too long. It was probably his longing for adventure, or his desire to right wrongs wherever he went that drove the taller troll onwards.

He didn’t say a word though.

He didn’t need too.

After a while however the older troll sat down on the edge of a pirate ship and gazed into a memory of the Alternian sunset. More than a little hesitantly Tavros inched closer to his imaginary friend, afraid he’d disappear if he’d so much as touch him.

“You’ve been following me long enough.” Rufioh said, staring at the sunset.”There something you want?”  
Tavros opened his mouth but failed to make a sound. He sat there, embarrassed and frozen on the spot. What do you tell your imagination when it appears right in front of you?  
“Don’t gawk at me like that will you?” His imagination said, shuffling awkwardly on the edge of the ship.”What do you want?”  
“I......I……” Tavros started.  
“Yes?”  
“Y-You……”  
“Go on…..”  
“You are Rufioh!” he blurted out, almost immediately embarrassed he said it.  
“…..Hmmm.” The adult mumbled. He seemed to ponder the situation for a bit before snickering.”It’s been a long time since people called me that.” He patted the railing next to him, inviting Tavros to sit there.”Usually people just call me the Summoner.”  
“The Summoner?” the younger troll looked a little confused. The title didn’t ring any bells.  
“Doesn’t matter. You can call me Rufioh kid…. And you’re name is?”  
“T-Tavros!” the page answered a little louder than intended.”Tavros Nitram.”

The Summoner’s eyes widened for a moment, hearing the kid’s last name. It made sense; His horns were just as majestic as his own, somehow he found his ancestor’s name was Rufioh and now he was here to look for him. Looking closer, the symbol on his shirt was the same as he wore. The older troll saw no reason to question it.

“Alright then….” The Summoner mumbled awkwardly. He never expected he even had a descendant.”Tavros was it?” the younger troll nodded vehemently.”What can I help you with?”  
“I-I-I…….” the rustblood mumbled awkwardly.”I don’t know….”  
“Huh?”  
“I just…. Kinda….. Saw you floating around.” The page mumbled.”And I thought; it’s Rufioh. I want to meet him….. Sorry?”  
Rufioh shrugged.”It’s alright I guess.” he said; the whole situation appeared a little surreal to him.”So are you dead or just dreaming?”  
“Oh, uhm….. I think I’m dead.” Tavros sighed. The bubble shifted to a dark grey corridor and a gaping hole appeared in his chest.”Yeah…. I’m dead.”  
“Bummer.” The Summoner wasn’t really sure what to tell his descendant.”What happened?”

Tavros began to talk with a bit more confidence about what happened. How he understood what exactly Vriska was planning to do and how everyone he knew was in danger because of the spidertroll. He got a bit embarrassed again when he admitted he knew he couldn’t win.  
“That takes guts.” The Summoner admitted, hoping to support his descendant.”It wasn’t the smartest way to deal with it, but you did good kid.”  
“Thanks Rufioh.” The young troll looked up with a childish smile and admiration in his eyes.”Did you ever have to do something like that?”  
“You mean a fight I couldn’t win?” The Summoner raised his eyebrow. His descendant nodded.”I try to pick my battles… If I know I can’t win I retreat, regroup, restrategize and try again.”  
“Then how did you end up here?”  
The Summoner laughed and smashed his fist against his hand as if to illustrate a point.”We were completely overrun. No point in retreating if the enemy is everywhere….. But to answer your previous question.” The older troll coughed.”I díd fight one fight I rather I didn’t.”  
“What happened?”  
“My matesprit happened.” The troll smiled wryly as the dreambubble changed back to a pirate ship. As Tavros looked back he saw a cobalt shadow with a lance sticking out of its chest. It looked like the corpse was still twitching before going completely silent. The page looked in disbelief at his idol, who sighed miserably.  
“Did nót want to do that…..” Rufioh groaned.  
“Then why?” Tavros stammered. He couldn’t believe the source of his confidence would do such a thing.

The scene changed again and both Tavros and Rufioh looked at a bronze and a cobalt shadow arguing with one another.”She had a….. very different idea of the equality I was fighting for.” the Summoner said miserably.”And behind my back, she was trying to convince the other highbloods that joined our cause to take over the army we accumulated….. I warned her, over and over again, but she never cared. Worst part about it was that she wasn’t even surprised when I eventually confronted her. Like she was expecting me to finally do it.”  
“Vriska was expecting me too….” Tavros mumbled.”Like, she kept pushing me to actually attack her.”  
“Pfft, women.” Rufioh said with a bit of a smirk.  
“Did we do the right thing?”  
“Doing the right thing is never easy.” The Summoner said. He smiled at his descendant and patted his head.”We did what we thought was right, right?”  
“Right!” Tavros said.  
“Great, enough with the depressing stuff then.” Rufioh stood up and looked over the ocean.”You ever seen a troll fly?”  
“Uhm….. Yeah?” Tavros mumbled, thinking of Vriska or even Sollux and Aradia using their psychic powers. Rufioh didn’t seem to listen though.  
”Check this out.” He leapt of the boat and flew over the ocean surface. Fish of all sorts and sizes were swimming up to great him. Tavros couldn’t help but think of how much fun it must be to fly.

“Do you…. Do you think you can teach me to fly?” he asked his imagination when he landed back on the deck. He had plenty of happy thoughts he could use, surely with some of Rufioh’s pixiedust he’d be able too.  
Before he could react his ancestor lifted him up and flung him over his back.

“Just hang on tight kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To this day Tavros doesn't realize Rufioh is actually his ancestor and not a figment of his imagination.


	10. Time to spare

“Stop following me!”

It felt like days since the Handmaid had acquired her silent hanger-on. Always just out of sight, with a perpetual smile on her face. It sickened her. She tried to ignore it; she knew full well that the girl was her descendant, the maid of time, but the child was testing her patience.  
It seemed however that the outburst was exactly what the young troll was waiting for. Instead of remaining quiet at a distance, she dared come closer to the Demoness and began talking.

“Hi there!” she said, all smiles.  
The Handmaid could feel her left eye twitch a little, before she turned her back on her descendant and continued walking. Her descendant followed right behind her.  
“I am Aradia.” She chattered. Her ancestor remained silent.”I’m the timeplayer of our alpha session. You remember SGRUB right? I mean, of course you do.”  
The Handmaid decided to walk a little faster.  
“Anyway,” the young troll continued with a smile, “I know my friends met their ancestors in the bubbles, so I thought it would be kinda cool to meet you, so when I spotted you I decided to follow you. And it is pretty cool indeed.”  
“…..You know who I am right?”

The Handmaid turned towards her descendant, wielding two threatening wands. Her eyes flickered various colors and a green aura formed around her. She carefully annunciated every word, but there was a hint of an eastern accent in her voice.  
Aradia just nodded and never stopped smiling. It was frustrating and almost frightening to see someone so unafraid.”I do.” she said cheerfully.”You are the Demoness, herald of death and servant of Lord English.”   
“…..Then you know I have no interest in dealing with you,” she growled, “be gone!” With a wave of her wand she lifted a surprised Aradia from the ground and tossed her out the bubble. Normally this would spell the end of unwanted shadows and memories.

This one persisted.

It didn’t take long for Aradia to begin stalking her ancestor again. The game had begun anew, but this time the older troll didn’t have the patience to put up with it for long. After two hours of feeling that stupid smile on her she turned around and used majyks to lift Aradia into the air.  
“I know you are there child!” the Demoness hissed.”Why do you persist in following me?!”  
Aradia just shrugged.”I just thought it’d be fun to hang out.”  
“Worthless whelp!” With a fling of her wand she tossed her descendant out of the bubble yet again. She expected it to be the end of it.

She was wrong.

Within the hour the red fairy was floating around the Handmaid’s dreambubble again. The adult had enough of the little game and immediately confronted her descendant.  
“Why!?” she hissed. She was getting tired of fighting off the little troll.  
“I just….. wanted to be your friend?” Aradia shrugged.

The Handmaid stood frozen to the ground as the smaller troll grabbed her hand. She hadn’t even heard the word ‘friend’ since she was ‘adopted’. She never had any friends, never needed them. Yet this little troll dared approach her so fearlessly and offer the worthless emotion of friendship? It was foolish, she knew it was. But her expression softened and her hand twitched as she carefully patted the head of her descendant.  
“Y-You know what I have done?” the adult mumbled, trying to sound threatening. What was wrong with her?  
“I have a hunch.” Aradia said with a bright smile.”But you didn’t want to did you?”  
“I took no small amount of pleasure in it.” she admitted.  
“Because you were trained too.” her descendant continued, her smile never fading.”But I bet you felt bad the first time.”

The bubble changed into a burning continent. The massacre of East-Alternia, orchestrated by Lord English so that the Condesce could expand her empire there without any resistance. The slaughter of her home and everyone in it, conducted by herself.  
“It got easier after that.” The Handmaid whispered. Aradia could feel her ancestor squeeze her hand.  
“Well yeah….” the young maid mumbled.”Only because Scratch t----“

The eyes of the Demoness lit up and the sound of breaking glass echoed through the bubble. Never did she want to think of that green room again. Never did she want to hear that condescending cue ball speak to her and never again would she be his servant. The memory shattered and the bubble broke, revealing the horrorterrors surrounding them.

“DO. NOT. SPEAK. HIS. NAME.” The Handmaid roared. For the first time since meeting her, Aradia looked concerned. Not angry, not terrified, but concerned. She was so confused.

The horrorterrors reformed the bubble effortlessly, as per their agreement with the princess. The older troll collapsed to her knees in the nothingness and pulled Aradia closer. Their horns clinked together as she put her head on the shoulder of the younger troll. When her descendant hugged her back, everything made sense and nothing did.

For the first time since what felt like forever she realized she was free. She didn’t even care anymore that she was crying about it. As long as she could hold her descendant a little longer.

“It’s alright….” Aradia assured her, as if she were her moirail. She held her ancestor close against her. It felt so warm, so alien.

The Handmaid bit her lip, quietly wandering if the small troll still wanted to be her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the Handmaid really needed was a hug. Not entirely how I wanted to write this chapter, but I think it turned out pretty cute. Next up, Karkat.


	11. Thicker than blood

Karkat found himself in someone’s memory of an open field. The wind was quiet and peaceful. The moons illuminated the open meadow that spread as far as he could see. He almost allowed himself to relax and drink it in. Almost. But there was a cloaked figure sitting in the open field, standing out like a sore thumb. A spot of grey amidst a palette of green’s and purples.

The young troll carefully approached, his deadly sickles at the ready. Whether the cloaked being was friend or foe, Karkat was determined not going to let it surprise him.

The determination made place for inevitable surprise anyway the moment the cloaked person stood up and turned out to be much taller than he. Hesitantly he took a step back. The adult troll looked down at him with bright red eyes, sitting like rubies in a familiar face. His face.

He couldn’t believe this shit.

He was so done with this shit.

“FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU---  
“Karkat? Is that you?…. I mean…”  
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU---  
“Heavens, I never expected that you would find me here.”  
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU---  
“The very thought that I would get to be a lusus myself one day…. It’s just…..”  
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU---  
“……..Are you ever going to stop that?” the adult grimaced a little.

“NO! NO! FUCK NO!” Karkat spat.”ALL OF THE NO I CAN MUSTER! I don’t care HOW future my future selves get, I am so fucking done arguing with you all! For fuck’s sake, what am I thinking ten sweeps from now? Come lets return and torment myself when I was still a wriggler?! GRADE-A PLAN, 10/10, WOULD TROLL AGAIN!” he turned his back and wanted to leave the bubble but the adult was chuckling at him. It pissed him off.  
“I understand the confusion.” He mused serenely.”But Karkat, I am not you.”  
“WELL GREAT!” Karkat shrieked as he threw his hands in the air.”Cause you being Kankri makes me SO much happier to talk to you! Please tell me about your future life and please let the only trigger involved be the one you pull as I will inevitably PUT MYSELF OUT OF MY MISERY!”  
“Well….” the troll mumbled.”I am not entirely sure I am like---“  
“FUCK!”  
“You done?”  
“…..Sorry.”

The adult troll sat down again and gazed at the moons. He invited Karkat to sit down next to him. Karkat declined. After what felt like hours of pointless moongazing, the young knight decided to break the silence.  
“Alright, so what’s the point here?” he grumbled.”Kankri talks too fucking much, you talk too fucking little. What am I even doing here?”  
“Well…..” the taller troll hummed.”I ám Kankri. Just not the version you know.”  
Karkat shrugged it away.”Alpha beta shenanigans, I’m up to speed.” He growled.”I think Sollux met his ancestor a while back.” His eyes narrowed.”Wait…. That means YOU are the asshole that saddled me up with this fucking swill in my veins!”  
“Actually,” the adult hummed, “I am pretty sure the person who put ME on Alternia is responsible for that.” He looked at Karkat with a knowing smile.”You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”  
“Well fucking fine!” he growled.”We are mutants because of timeloops, big fucking whoop. I always promised myself I’d kick the asshole who gave me ‘this’ and now it turns I am the asshole. It’s me.” He looked his ancestor in the eyes.”How’d you even survive to adulthood with eyes like that? Shit, you’re not even trying to hide it.”  
“Should I?”  
“YES!”  
The adult beta Kankri smiled warmly.”I had friends to help me.”  
“…..Oh.”  
“Do you have friends like that?” his ancestor chuckled friendly as Karkat decided to sit down next to him anyway. The young knight grumbled something incomprehensible.  
“I guess….” he finally sighed. With the exception of the resident bluebloods he didn’t expect any of his teammembers to sell him out if they ever found out about his caste.  
“Good.” Kankri’s beta version smiled.”It makes me happy to hear that. Would you mind telling me more about them?”  
Karkat sneered.”What’s it too you?”  
“I just want to know how my descendant turned out.” the adult said with a serene smile. “And if your version of Alternia was a little more pleasant.”  
“Heh” Karkat laughed joylessly, “prepare to be incredibly disappointed.”

He began speaking animatedly about his life on Alternia. Hiding his blood from everyone, having to deal Sollux, Gamzee and Eridan all the time. His ancestor snickered when he mentioned the name Pyrope, but he let it pass. He talked about Vriska and Tavros, Terezi and Nepeta while the adult just quietly nodded.

Untill Feferi got mentioned.

Without explanation the beta Kankri began howling in laughter and clapped his hands joyously. “Yes!” he shouted, raising his fist victoriously to the heavens.”Yes! Oh Karkat, that is beautiful.”  
“What is?” the young troll growled, a little suspicious from the outburst.  
His ancestor whipped away a tear from the corner of his eye.”Oh…. Oh man….” he said, catching his breath.”To think that a Peixes would be such an advocate of equal rights among the hemocaste.”  
“More like complete abolishment.”  
“Even better.” the Signless sighed.”It was her ancestor that killed me.” Karkat looked up surprised.”Well…. ordered me killed really. She didn’t lift a finger.”  
“What happened?”  
The adult looked a little embarrassed.”You know how you hid your blood color?” Karkat nodded.”Well…. I didn’t.”  
The younger troll gave an annoyed sigh and looked up at the moons.”You’re a moron.”  
“My blood was my weapon.” Kankri said with a smile.”I knew the worst abuse towards lowbloods and I knew the kindest compassion. It made me realize what had to be done and when I preached about it people would listen. Not only that, but I just KNOW it was my blood that gave me these visions about how our perfect society would come to be.”  
“Sounding an awful lot like your alpha version now….” Karkat growled.  
“I died for what I believed in.” the Signless smiled.”I am sure you would have done the same, had you been given the time.”

The knight of blood narrowed his eyes and looked at his ancestor.”Yes and no….” he said carefully.“I believe in only one thing: survival. I would never do something so stupid as to show my bloodcolor if it endangers me.”  
“That is fair…..” the adult nodded.”I wasn’t implying—“  
“How-fucking-ever….” Karkat continued.”With things the way they are…. I might just die trying to survive. So congratulations I guess. Your half right. Somewhere a Captor smiles and he doesn’t know why.”  
“Just the one?” the Signless smiled.  
“Fuck there are more?”

The adult nodded.”Let me tell you about Mituna—“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie: really looked forward to writing that misunderstanding in the opening.


	12. Lesson on ruling an empire

Feferi had been waiting patiently.

Any moment now the game would be over. Either existence would end and she would fade away with it or the game would be won and the rogue of void would spam enough rings of life to depopulate the dreambubbles. Whichever option would present itself, she had made her peace.

So she waited patiently, occasionally conversing with passerby’s or elder gods to pass the time. Sometimes she would remember a book to read, sometimes she remembered her cuttlefish to play with, but she remained in her bubble. Waiting.

Maybe a year passed. Maybe it was a sweep. Perhaps even longer.

She actually forgot entirely about a side-effect of her friends winning. Until that side-effect materialized in front of her, with hollow white eyes, massive horns and a mountain of hair.

“Aaaaw shell no!” the woman groaned, looking towards the heavens.”Those motherglubbers are NOT fuckin axin me after I fuckin helped those suckas fight Lord Cueballs.” She angrily stamped her feed while making frustrated groans.

Feferi’s blood grew cold seeing her ancestor. Her entire life she knew she would eventually have to face her. She had lived her life with the constant knowledge that any day an assassin may burst in or her meals would get poisoned, ordered by the adult troll in front of her. All to secure her tyrannical hold on their race.  
It was a terrifying thought and the subject of many feelingsjam that one day she would have to challenge the much older, much more experienced empress in a duel to the death.

Facing her while already being death however was different matter altogether.

“I sea my friends are doing well.” Feferi stated. She said trying so hard to control herself she felt like she was shaking on the spot. The Condescension turned around and grinned maniacally seeing her descendant. The golden 2x3 trident appeared in her hand and her eyes began flashing blue’s and red’s but promptly stopped; the modifications she made to her body didn’t carry over to her dead self.  
“Shell, shell, shell.” The adult said in a fittingly condescending manner.”Ya couldn’t even stay alive long enough for ma big fight could ya?”  
“I sea it proved quite a task for you as well.” Feferi said in a fake saccharine voice.  
“Hey, I lived three thousand sweeps.” The adult hissed.”Gimme a lil credit. Least I didn’t die before I even got a chance to take ma beau crown.”  
“I may just get to take that from you if my friends win.”  
“Try me sugatits.”

Feferi giggled and calmly walked a circle around her ancestor. She wasn’t scared of this relic of the past anymore. Her ancestor had fallen from grace, reduced to little more than a servant for their common enemy.  
“You know my fronds won’t revive you if they win right?” She hummed. She actually felt like she was in control now and the wild glint in the eyes of the Condescension only reinforced that sensation.  
“Like I need their chump charity.” The adult troll growled. She lunged her trident forward and caught Feferi between the prongs.”Just say what ya wanna say guppy.”  
The young witch smiled sweetly and carefully stepped out of the prongs.”When I get out of here,” she said in a clear voice, ”I will be asked to lead the trolls. And I want you to be the first to know, that my first deed as new empress is going to be the complete dismantling of the hemocaste-system.”

Feferi smirked defiantly at her ancestor. It felt great to be able to say it in her face. Through her life she had anticipated many different scenarios wherein she would face her and what to say to her in those situations. But even in her most optimistic dreams did she never even dream of being able to speak her mind like that without risk of dying.  
She felt strong.  
She felt in charge.  
She felt terrified when her ancestor began chuckling darkly.

“Ya know what guppy?” the condescension snickered, “I wish ya aaaaaaaaall the best with that horribubble idea. Reelly.”  
Feferi felt one of her eyes twitch.”What do you mean?” she asked, sounding more agitated than she wanted to.

The condescension sat back as the dreambubble shifted into the throne room. The air behind her changed into a ornamented dark purple throne. She crossed her legs nonchalantly and looked down at her descendant.  
“How long do you think equality will be sustainable guppy?” she asked as if she was lecturing Feferi.  
“Forever!” Feferi said defiantly.”When we learn to cooperate as equals we---“  
“WRONG GUPPY!” The Condesce laughed maniacally as she kicked her legs in the air.”SO VERY FUCKIN WRONG!” when the adult regained her composure she smirked down at the younger troll. Much to Feferi’s frustration the lecturing tone returned.”What is the ratio of trolls born in the lower half of our hemospectrum?”  
“I don’t car---“  
“If we take tha jade caste as median,” the empress started, ”like we shoald, seven out of every ten trolls will be born as a pissblood.  
“I don’t see how—“ Feferi wanted to interject.  
“THEN YOU ARE A FOOL.” The condescension howled.”How fast does our race grow?”  
“Every mothergrub can lay up to 200.000 eggs per sweep.” Feferi said quickly, not wanting to be cut off again.  
“How many mothergrubs do you think we had before ya dun goofd?”  
“I……”  
“A lot.”

The condescension stood up and approached her descendant with no small amount of glee in her eyes. The throneroom changed into a spaceship, in the midst of a fight with an alien fleet.”We had to expand our glubbin race quickly.” She began explaining.”There were ova twenty planets for raisin our spawn alone. Even I don’t fuckin know how many trolls there were before ya fucked up and unleashed tha vast glub.”  
Feferi remained quiet and looked defiantly at her ancestor.  
“Now for tha difficult part.” The empress said with a wicked grin as she cupped the face of her descendant in her hands.”Assuming every pissblood gets treated like every highblood, most a them would reach maturity. And do ya really think they WOULDN’T revolt in bloody war against me, or you?”

Feferi narrowed her eyes as she looked at her ancestor. Cruel and vile as she was, there was an uncomfortable logic in her words. A logic she refused to acknowledge.

“I will never let that happen.” Feferi hissed.  
“Neither did I.” The Condescension chuckled before sitting back and enjoying the view. In the distance a large spaceship got blown to pieces.  
With a sigh Feferi sat down as well as the two of them looked at the ensuing dogfights in space. There was a sharp tension between them and neither of them seemed to want to be there. The young troll just hoped her friends would be successful soon.

“…….How are my fronds doing?” Feferi finally asked. With her ancestor here, it couldn’t take long before the end anymore.  
“Conchidering we are still bangin, I say they are holdin up.” The empress mumbled, pretending to be uninterested.  
“Did you say you helped them?” The witch asked, remembering the frustration of her ancestor when she arrived in the bubbles.  
“A coarse.” The empress said, almost surprised her descendant didn’t get it. ”I kinda needed exfishtence too ya know? When I was alive that is. Anywave, when I was bleedin out like a gutted fish, tha prince got up and distracted that suckafish with poorly drawn smut.”  
“Huh….” Feferi muttered surprised.”That’s…. incredibly weird.” she turned to face her ancestor. ”What.... What kinda person IS Lord English?”

For the first time the Condescension seemed genuinely amused.

”Gill, ya wouldn’t believe me if I told ya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the Condescension is awesome. I still just love the fact that she talks in a semi-gangsta way.
> 
> Anyway, this marks the end of the little series. I felt a significant dip somewhere in the middle of all this. It is actually the closest I have ever come to just giving up on a story, which I refused cause I am doing this to get better at writing. Rather than giving up, I needed to find what made me dislike this story.  
> During the later chapters I realized what I was doing wrong. I was so busy trying to work in half-hearted life-lessons (read: teachings of the dead) that I stopped having fun with the interaction between the ancestor and the descendant. I rectified by largely skipping over those lessons in the later chapters in favor for interaction and lo and behold, suddenly I was having fun with the story again.  
> It does mean that Mindfang, one of the most colorful and interesting ancestors, got to be the most boring one: a victim of that dip.
> 
> Regardless, I hope you have gotten some amusement out of this.- Anon_H


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